Joanna Szyman for PMR: Robotics Is the Future of Surgery

News

Joanna Szyman for PMR: Robotics Is the Future of Surgery

There are currently seven da Vinci surgical robots installed in Poland. Among the conditions necessary for continued rapid growth are staff training and education. That is why, starting in August, the Szpital na Klinach in Kraków launched a training program for doctors on procedures performed using the da Vinci surgical assistance system, says Joanna Szyman, CEO of the Neo Hospital Group, which owns the facility.

One Million da Vinci Surgeries in 2018

According to Joanna Szyman, the future of medical robotics will be shaped by steadily increasing spending on research and development, growing demand from medical centers, and rising patient expectations.

On a global scale, medical robots are not a new phenomenon.

For over 20 years, they have been used with great success in general surgery, oncology, gynecology, urology, and bariatric surgery, among other fields. To date, more than 6 million surgeries have been performed worldwide using the most popular robotic system, including approximately 1 million last year. Importantly, the number of procedures performed is projected to continue growing by about 15–17 percent year over year. This illustrates the scale of this growing global phenomenon.

Joanna Szyman

Germany and Italy Are European Leaders in da Vinci Robotic Surgery

Surgical robots are tools that combine the advantages of minimally invasive surgery with a level of precision unattainable by humans, far surpassing the capabilities of earlier solutions. When using a robot, the surgeon receives a live video feed from inside the body; the surgical site is visible at high magnification, and a computer translates the surgeon’s gestures into precisely defined movements of the surgical instruments. The robot not only allows for the precise removal of affected tissues but also minimizes the area of surgical intervention. Currently, procedures using da Vinci robots are performed in six Polish cities: Warsaw, Poznań, Wrocław, Toruń, Białystok, and Kraków.

There are currently seven da Vinci surgical systems installed in Poland. This represents more than a twofold increase compared to July of last year, when only two such systems were operating in our country on a limited basis. Germany remains the European leader in robotic surgery, with approximately 137 da Vinci robots currently in use, followed by Italy, which has about 120. This is one of the reasons why Poles often travel to these countries to seek treatment for complex medical conditions, primarily urological ones.

Joanna Szyman

If our country can sustain the recent growth in the robotic surgery market, a large portion of the money that currently flows out of Poland to support the development of foreign clinics will remain within our domestic healthcare system, predicts the CEO of Neo Hospital.

At the Kliny Hospital, he will train doctors in robotic surgery

There are already approximately 43,000 qualified surgeons worldwide working with more than 5,000 da Vinci systems. In addition to investments in high-end equipment, staff training and education are also key to the continued rapid growth of this segment. Since August, the Szpital na Klinach in Kraków has been running a training program for physicians on procedures performed using the da Vinci surgical assistance system. “This is the first facility in Poland to offer an open training program for doctors in robotic techniques,” emphasizes Joanna Szyman.

The workshops are conducted in Polish and English, in groups of four. During the three-day training sessions, doctors learn how the da Vinci robot works, become familiar with the surgical instruments, and practice camera navigation. They also have the opportunity to practice on training devices and undergo virtual training on the SimNow simulator, manufactured and patented by the American company Intuitive Surgical. The course concludes with a practical and theoretical exam. The course is also available to doctors from outside Poland.

The course director is Prof. Tomasz Rogula, a specialist in metabolic, bariatric, laparoscopic, robotic, and general surgery, who has been working in the U.S. for over 20 years and, more recently, in Poland as well.

Hume’s Institute stands for knowledge. PMR Market Experts stands for experience. When we join forces, you gain a competitive edge. See how we can support your business.